Disclaimer #1: I do not own any characters from "The Walking Dead." They are the property of Robert Kirkman, Glenn Mazzera and AMC. No money is changing hands in the writing, reading or distribution of this story.

Disclaimer #2: Any similarities to any specific persons, living or dead, is unintended.

Badass and Beauty

Total Words in Chapter:

Chapter 51

She knew somethin' more 'an what she was willin' to say right now, that was clear. Daryl knew his girl, Grecia had her doubts; the look on her face grim when Rick had said about how he finally he had enough cause to go after Shane, said how he hoped this would finally be puttin' an end to all the inner turmoil of the group and that things would finally settle down…once it was determined how Shane would be handled. Even Rick had flinched on that one, and Daryl had expected as much…but what he hadn't expected was seeing a worried look cross Grecia's face and then just stay there…like there was more parts to this Shane thing than what she felt she could say in front of Rick. Rick said about a tough road ahead, Shane was his best friend, or had been, Rick weren't trying to hide how taxing this was for him…and Grecia, she was actin' like she somehow knew it was gonna be even tougher than what Rick could imagine…yeah, Daryl's girl knew somethin' no one else did where Shane was considered, and Daryl was set on learnin' what that was…but not now. If that girl 'a his saw fit to keep it from Rick, then Daryl'd trust her.

Daryl's girl…more like Daryl's wife now…damn, he'd gone and give Carol his word that he'd slow down, that he'd not go puttin' labels on what it was Grecia was to him just yet…but fact was that it was done the minute Daryl'd told her on the porch that to him, she were a Dixon…what the hell else could that 'a meant? And why the hell else would Daryl 'a said it to her if he didn't mean it? He didn't even know he meant it until he said it; he'd just been carryin' it around inside him, knowin' it were true every time he looked at her…she was his…he took her away from his brother, and that's where it really got its start…the minute he found out 'bout Grecia and his brother was the minute Daryl knew he had to lay some kinda claim to her what Merle couldn't challenge if'n he ever showed back up again.

That weren't all 'a it though…and Daryl had to admit that 'Mama Dixon' did know her boy and she were right 'bout the influence of Grecia's spyin' on Shane. Daryl did miss bein' in 'the pit' with her every day, he didn't like not havin' her under the dining room table where they used to sleep, he didn't want to go on havin' to make like he'd hurt her…and he didn't like even the thought 'a his girl…his wife, bein' alone in the orchard with that fucker Shane. In a way, that was kinda what pushed Daryl into marryin' her…it were the very same as when Grecia'd stood there scared to death of a peanut butter sandwich and was lookin' to him for strength. Grecia needed to eat…Grecia needed protection from Shane…without them things, Daryl could lose her…and he weren't 'bout to lose her, God damn it! And what better way to never lose her than to marry her? He loved her…the first girl what he ever loved…the first girl what he ever missed bein' around…the first girl Daryl'd 'a laid his life down for…if that weren't marryin' type 'a feelin's, then what were?

But then…Daryl was only callin' this whole thing a "marriage" and referin' to Grecia as his "wife" cuz that was…well, people language. Weren't as if he could really put it out there the way he actually felt it…and even if he could, he'd 'a bet that all the other womenfolk would get their panties in a twist over the language he'd use. Daryl weren't really the marryin' type…no Dixon boy was…but they was the type to keep a female as their own…and really, that's how he was seein' Grecia now, she was his female, his mate.

Most 'a what Daryl ever figured 'bout love and relationships that didn't come from what he done up against a cinder block wall, had come from the woods and the game he hunted there. He'd seen white tail bucks in early fall, some of 'em with ten, twelve points on their antlers, big damn deer…and Daryl'd watch 'em go and round themselves up a doe, cut her out from her female group and chase her off to where it was only him and her…and he'd stay with her a few days, matin' with her and defendin' her against any other male what got too close, snortin' and stompin' and whistlin' and lockin' horns…and that's just what Daryl was doin' too…he'd cut Grecia out from the herd 'a women, chased her down to where it was only him and her…woulda had mated with her by now if it weren't officer Flashlight…and Daryl was sure as hell defendin' his female…she was his…he'd told her so…he knowed what he meant by it…but "marriage" and "wife" was the only way to express it. He didn't like "husband" though…what a stupid-ass word…why couldn't he just be her "buck?"

And his "doe" was awful perplexed by somethin' Shane and Rick related…had Daryl half in fight mode, a little crazier than he woulda been had he never "married" her…plus he was still pretty deep in rut, had fire burnin' in him what didn't get put out proper cuz 'a Rick knockin' on the driver side window…damn it…Daryl liked Rick…but not when he was…fuckin' up Daryl's fuckin! But, mostly, Daryl's concern was over Grecia and what she knew, and how he was gonna keep her protected what with her knowin' it and all. And there was Rick to consider in all this too…poor bastard…weren't none 'a this easy on Rick.

"That snare you found tripped a week or two back," Rick was still saying as he rolled the Mossberg over in his hands again, once more staring down the crooked site. "This is most likely what he used to trigger it, then picked up the rocks and smashed the end of the barrel with them. Looks like a lot of hammering went on with something that wasn't perfectly fitted to the job." And once more Rick's hands smoothed over the rustic looking dents in the black steel of the barrel and muzzle, looked like somethin' with big, huge, sharp teeth had grabbed 'a hold of it and give it a good chomp and chew. That site had been battered off plumb on purpose, that shotgun had been made to be unreliable…and then carried into 'the pit' to miss whatever target encroached on Daryl when that walker herd made its way through.

Daryl thought he'd be bustin' shit up and yellin' and growlin' around once he had proof 'a what it was he and Grecia already knew…Shane had intents on killin' Daryl…weren't no better reason for a man to go stark, ravin' wild and mean and start to inflict whatever damage on whoever got closest to him at the time…but that weren't what Daryl was doin', or even feelin'. He could handle Shane, he always knowed he could, that was never a worry for him. And maybe it were that quiet confidence what kept him so settled-like now; that and bein' so on guard 'a what it was goin' on in his doe's head, too. Both them things had Daryl tacked down and plugged in, thinkin' on Rick and what all this shit with Shane was like for him. And it all got Daryl thinkin' how this whole take down 'a Shane weren't nothin' what Rick should have to do.

Daryl knowed what it was to be facin' hurtful doubts about his kin, and maybe Shane weren't kin to Rick, but they was friends and had been for a long enough time to 'bout make 'em kin. Weren't too very long ago when Daryl was stood in this old office 'a Hershel's suitin' up in his Mossy Oak duds for the first time ever, headin' out to hunt down…and take down…his own brother. Merle hadn't really been out there at the time, but Daryl's aims was just as real as if he had been. Just goin' back to thinkin' on that put the very same big, dead, cold feelin' space back into Daryl's heart…he didn't wanna kill Merle…didn't wanna hurt Merle what a'tall…even if at the time Daryl'd still been lead to think that his brother was a predator of the worst kind, somethin' that sprang out of darkness and bent what was weak to his will and took whatever he pleased from it. That weren't no admirable quality, not in no one…and God be thanked and praised that it hadn't been so 'bout Merle in the end anyway…but it was so about Shane…Rick had every right to be goin' after Shane…but that didn't mean he should hafta.

Daryl was holdin' the Mossberg now, lookin' it over, lettin' it wash over him how the instrument meant for to cause his demise was layin' right there in his hands…Shane…the fucker…no, Daryl didn't want Rick to have no part of takin' down Shane…but Daryl was realizin' now that only part of that feelin' were out of any sense of fidelity to Rick. The other part of it were comin' from the deepest, darkest part 'a Daryl, a deep black pit what was demandin' revenge. Daryl'd already laid claim to Grecia…and he'd made up his mind to do the same with Shane…only in a much different way.

"I guess at this point maybe it goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway just so it's official to the three of us," Rick began, looking around at Grecia and Daryl individually, but Daryl just stared down at that busted up shotgun…gettin' more and more worked up. And then Rick's hand come across and took a brotherly like hold 'a Daryl's shoulder and looked at him eye to eye. "Daryl, you're my new second in command around here, if you're wanting the job…and I gotta say that I hope you do."

Daryl's head jerked up from the mangled shotgun, not surprised by the offer, but surprised to hear Rick make it nonetheless. Beside him his doe stepped a little closer to him, her hand givin' his arm a gentle nudge, wantin' some kind of contact with him, some need to touch him suddenly coursing through her that Daryl could feel himself, but despite Rick's offer of promotion, what was currently circulatin' through Daryl weren't nothin' he wanted anywhere near Grecia. He looked at Rick, tampin' down what was creepin' forth under Daryl's skin.

"Hold up," he said to Rick, the Mossberg still held firmly in both Daryl's hands, and he turned to Grecia, expectin' her to look somewhat happier than she did, but no, that nudge of her hand and that need to touch him wasn't exactly comin' from pride in her man cuz he was not second in charge…somethin' had his girl worried, and she was lookin' to him like she wanted him to know somethin' did. Daryl wasn't sure why, but his gut was tellin' him to defend his doe by gettin' her away from this, away from what was swirlin' inside him. "Go," he told her on a flat, ordering kind of tone, not meant to be anything other than directive. "Ain't nothin' what I got to say any further bein' any use 'a you hearin'."

One thing with that girl he'd married himself to, she knew when to be quiet, and now was when. Grecia just locked eyes with him a minute, then nodded, but yeah, she had her suspicions on somethin'…somethin' Rick couldn't know, at least, not yet. Silent as she could be, Grecia slipped out of Hershel's old office, leaving Daryl with Rick, and a formerly potential murder weapon between them.

Rick sighed, he knew Daryl enough by now to figure that when Daryl got to sendin' his matel outta the room, then somethin' must be up. "So?" Rick asked, leaned back against Hershel's old desk and waited. "I expect whatever it is you are gonna say won't sit real well with me either."

Daryl looked back at Rick, steady, didn't flinch or blink. "Probably not," he agreed levelly, "but it's for yer own good."

Rick shook his head though, didn't need Daryl to say nothin' more. "You don't trust me to deal with Shane?"

Daryl grabbed the Mossberg in one hand by the fore-end, gave it a shake and cocking the gun even though it was unloaded, then put to his shoulder and aimed it at the far wall, looking down the twisted muzzle. "I trust you to 'deal' with him just fine," he told Rick, then raised his head and lowered the weapon. "It's killin' him what I lack faith in you doin'."

Rick staggered a moment, but stood strong again. "No one said it was going to come down to that."

"I just did." Daryl replied steadily, but relaxed the shotgun to a more at ease position across his chest, but his eyes never left Rick's. "Cuz what if it does? You prepared for that?" Daryl was met with Rick's silence and he hadn't expected any different, he just looked back at Rick, readying himself to take on a protective role like what Daryl never had before. "You want me as your second in command? Fine. I accept. But I'm tellin' you right now: you don't touch your boy yourself. You don't stake him out, you don't 'arrest' him, you don't lock him up…and you sure as hell don't dole out whatever punishment he's due."

But Rick sighed that sigh of ancient kings what used to preside over women layin' claim to the same infant. "I can't put that on you, Daryl." He insisted, "I need a second in command, not an executioner."

But Daryl shook his head back at Rick, finally having pushed Rick to crack through to the inevitable. "Thought no one said it were gonna come to that?"

Rick just looked back and Daryl in total, air-still, silence…and now Daryl knew what it was inside him what ordered Grecia outta the room…that's what he didn't want her to hear…that's what he didn't want her to know. Daryl'd only saw this thing with Shane endin' one way. And knowin' that Grecia was harborin' some additional worry related to Shane weren't lendin' much of a happy endin' type vibe to this shit. Rick liked to believe he could talk sense into Shane, was probably already formulatin' ways 'a gettin' Shane to listen to reason, ironin' Shane's wrinkles out some ways that Daryl knew would never amount to much good at all. Weren't no fixin' Shane…and whatever was gonna need doin' with him, Daryl was volunteerin' to do it.

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is short! In addition to being kind of transitional and hard to fit into another chapter, Monday was shitty, and it bled right into Tuesday…I've also had the kind of Tuesday that makes you want Wednesday to hurry the hell up and get here!lol Yes, I'm physically okay from the stupid car accident, thank everyone for your concern! I do appreciate it! But I spent all day Tuesday stuck at garages and dealerships and on the phone with insurance companies…and that was the most fun because the dumbass who hit me isn't insured! Add into that mess my biker husband, who has his own biker laws, is making me worry about him wigging out and doing "something." I know I'm way behind with AN's…but I'm like so TOAST right now…it's 3:51am and I just got this sorry chapter finished cuz I didn't get a chance to write today like I thought I would. So, I'm going to go collapse and I swear to you all that I will be getting to you all tomorrow! I'm not the most coherent right I hate this, I really do…I wanted to talk to you all! Thank you to everyone who kept me company on my phone today in the forum and in PM's while I was stranded at garages and dealerships! It really did help! But for now, I hate that I'm saying "goodnight." Thank you so much for reading and for reviewing and I'm sorry I'm such a deadbeat! But tomorrow…I promise promise promise that I will talk…or write…whatever, your ears off tomorrow! Love you all and thanks again for making me a little crazy when the rest of the world was trying hard to push me the other direction!

Special Thanks to SUNNYMUFFINS for selecting me as her favorite author and also for subscribing to my author alert list! The same to THEBONEYKINGOFNOWHERE for selecting me as one of her favorite authors! Wow! I cannot say enough that I am truly flattered that both of you would do that! Thank you! And another special Thank You and Welcome to HERMIONECHAN90 for selecting this story as one of their favorites! Feel free to jump in anywhere!